The Boeing-Bell Helicopter team building the V-22 tiltrotor aircraft has received a contract to upgrade the training system for Air Force Special Operations Command’s CV-22 tiltrotor aircraft. In a release Oct. 30, Boeing said this work entails adding an aircrew flight simulation (AFS) to the CV-22 cabin part task trainer used by the 58th Training Squadron at Kirtland AFB, N.M., to instruct CV-22 flight engineers. The AFS fuses video images with virtual reality, enabling students to view both the interior cabin environment and the simulated outside world in a composite picture on a helmet-mounted display. “This is an innovative approach that allows students to train on real-time cargo air drops, parachute drops, and emergencies, including wing fires, hydraulic leaks, and engine smoke,” said Mark McGraw, Boeing vice president of training systems and services. This modification also opens the door to additional future upgrades, he said.
Nearly 50 aircraft from the German, French, and Spanish air forces are embarking on a series of exercises across the Indo-Pacific region from June to August, with the U.S. Air Force jumping in on several as well.